Read Online Open and Shut by David Rosenfelt - Free Book Online Page B

he'll eventually give in.
    By a coincidence, Pete was the detective originally assigned to the Willie Miller case, and he ran the investigation. He assumes that is what I'm here to see him about, and is surprised when I tell him about Cal's daughter, Wanda.
    Though Pete does not have anything to do with Wanda's case, he tracks down her file and looks through it. I tell him that Wanda Morris is a troubled kid, but after a quick read he dismisses her as a hooker.
    I correct him. “An alleged hooker.”
    “Who do I look like?” he sneers. “John Q. Jury? She allegedly propositioned a cop. Vice has allegedly got it on tape.”
    “An obvious case of entrapment.”
    Pete laughs and shows me his nameplate on his desk. He points to the word “Lieutenant.” “See that?” he says. “That means I'm hot shit around here.”
    I nod. “You're a goddamn legend, a combination J. Edgar Hoover and Eliot Ness. Which means you spend your time walking around in a dress looking for alcohol.”
    He ignores that. “Come on, Andy, why are you talking to me about a hooker? I deal in big stuff, like homicides. If this hooker screws a guy to death, come talk to me.”
    “You owe me.” I didn't want to have to use my ace this early in the conversation, but I don't want to be late again for my meeting with Laurie. I represented Pete's brother on a drug charge in a nearby town. I got him off and kept Pete's name out of it. His brother is doing well now, turned his life around, and Pete remembers. Pete's the type who will remember it until the day he dies, and maybe even a few years afterward.
    That doesn't mean he'll cave easily. “You calling in your chit on this? A hooker case? You know as well as I do she'll be back on the street in a day anyway.”
    “Her father's my friend.”
    Pete nods; no more explanation is necessary. Pete is a guy who understands friendship.
    “I'll call McGinley,” he says. “I'll get him to plead it out to probation. She stays clean and it comes off her record.”
    “Thanks. Now, on to more important business.”
    He's surprised. “There's more? You got another friend whose kid is a bank robber? Or an arsonist? Why don't you just give me a list of your friends and we won't arrest anybody with those last names?”
    I haven't met the sarcasm that can stop me, so I push on. “What do you know about Victor Markham?”
    “He's a rich scumbag.” He reflects for a moment. “That might be redundant.”
    As a rich person, I'm offended, but I don't show it. “What did Markham have to do with the Miller case?”
    “You want me to tell you what you already know? The victim was his son's girlfriend. They were out together when it happened.”
    “Were you aware of any special connection between Victor Markham and my father?”
    Pete shows me a flash of anger. “Your father did not have special connections. Except to the truth.”
    “Don't you think I know that?”
    He nods. “Yeah, of course you do. Sorry.”
    I wait for him to continue, to tell me what he knows. I don't have to wait long.
    “Markham's son, Edward, was a loose cannon,” he says. “I had the feeling that Victor was pulling his strings, like he was worried what the kid might say or do on his own. No big deal, just a feeling I had.”
    I take this very seriously. Pete is an outstanding cop; there are a lot of people making license plates and saying “Pass the soap, Bubba” in the shower because of feelings Pete has had.
    “Where's Edward now?” I ask.
    “He works for his daddy. Big job.”
    I nod. “He must interview really well.”
    I thank Pete and leave, stopping off at the newsstand on the way back to the office. I tell Cal that Wanda is to be in court three days from now, and if she behaves everything will be fine. For now. Cal is so grateful I think he's going to cry or, even worse, hug me. But since deep emotion is not really a part of our relationship, I'm glad when he doesn't.
    I get to the office early, and Laurie hasn't yet